Expert: Kenton Scott - 11/3/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi Kenton,

I recently inherited an old trombone from my late grandfather and was hoping you could help identify it.  The mouthpiece is engraved Conn-Pryor and the bell says it was made by C.G. Conn in Elkhart.  I looked through your website and the one that looks most like it to my untrained eye is #3090, the 82H New York Symphony model from 1924.  Is that correct?

The trombone is in rather rough shape, but there are pictures of it here (ignore the mandolin): http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/13148237/1/terre_haute_instruments?h=3e1398

I plan to get it cleaned up soon.  I'd appreciate any light you could shed on the matter.

Thanks for your time!

ANSWER: Looks like it might be.  If so, is should have an 8in bell and a .522 bore.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the quick reply!  

The bell on this trombone is 7in. I found the model and serial number on the bell and slide.  The bell and slide are both stamped 18H and the slide has the serial number 211561.

The 18H model on the site doesn't look much like it, e.g. has a counterweight where mine does not.  From the serial number list, I guess it was made in 1925?  Maybe a smaller successor to the 1924 model?

Thanks again.

Answer
Conn re-used some of his model numbers.  So, you can have very different instruments sporting the same model number.  

In your case, the 18H with in-slide tuning was made from approximately 1919 to 1931.  The earlier years, it was called the Tait Model, but later it was called the Frisco model.  I believe yours was a Frisco.  It should have a .500 bore.

I don't have pictures of that particular model.  If you would care to share pictures of your horn, I'll add them to the WEB site.  Send them to Kenton@horn-u-copia.net.